Spring supported hobbyhorse



May 22, 1951 1.. MINOR, JR

SPRING SUPPORTED HOBBYHORSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1949JNVENTOR. Leo L Minor, Jr. WM

y 22, 1951 MINOR, JR 2,554,045

SPRING SUPPORTED HOBBYHORSE Filed Feb. 18, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2HVVENTUR. Lea L M/nar, Jr: BY

Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING SUPPORTEDHOBBYHORSE Leo L. Minor, Jr., Dallas, Tex. Application February 18,1949, Serial No. 77,253

Claims. (Cl. 272-532) This present invention relates to a toy horse ofthe spring action type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a toy horsecomprising a stationary support, a saddle section yieldably mounted onthe support. and front and rear sections pivotally and yieldablyconnected to the support and saddle section and to one another.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a toy horse of the typecharacterized and including adjustable foot rests on the front sectionand engageable by the feet of the rider.

Another object is to provide a toy horse, the front section of which isswung downwardly by pressure upon the foot rests while the rear sectionis simultaneously swung upward.

Yet another object is to provide a toy horse of simple and inexpensiveconstruction.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as theinvention is fully understood, the same resides in the novelty ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of elements specificallyhereinafter described and distinctly claimed in the appended claims.

For a better understanding of the invention, the description should beread together with the accompanying drawing forming part of theapplication and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy horse constituting the preferredembodiment of the applicant's invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical enlarged section of the saddle sectionand adjacent portions of the front and rear sections;

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse, vertical sections on lines 33 and 4-4respectively of Fig. 2.

In the drawings in which like or similar parts are designated by like orsimilar characters of reference, Fig. 1 shows a floor orground-supported base including two pairs of feet 5, and a pair of rods6 each having secured to one end a foot and passing at the middlethrough the end portion of a member H). To opposite sides and at themiddle of member ID are affixed the lower ends of spaced verticalstandards I l. Parts 5, 8, [0, II are hereinafter referred to as asupport.

A pair of spaced beams I2 is each fastened preferably by bolts and incounter-sunk fashion to the inner side of the upper end part of astandard and project beyond the front and rear sides thereof (Figs. 2,3). Bolts M, Ma are each mounted at their ends in corresponding ends ofbeams l2, and each pass diametrically through the intermediate part of atubular first class lever l3, Ila.

The inner ends of tubes I3, l3a have openings each for the end of aspring l5. Bolts ll, I'Ia each extend through the outer end of one ofthe levers I3, I31: respectively, and through the lower ends of thespaced legs of an inverted U-shaped member [6, lEa, respectively.

To either vertical side of the front U-member I8 is fastened, preferablyby screws, a board A, the contour of which resembles the outline of thefront ,part of a horse and further simulates a horse by depicting thehoofs, eye and ear. In the outer side of the head part of a board A iseither mounted a bridle or depicted a likeness thereof (Fig. 1). Thebridle or its likeness includes a bight to the ends of which the ends ofrein are secured.

section boards A therebetween and the bightpart of the front U-membertherebetween (Figs.

1-4) and provides a fulcrum for the front section so that the latter canswing on the saddle section.

The same also includes a seat board 20 secured at opposite longitudinaledges by fasteners such as screws to confronting sides of the saddleboards adjacent the upper edges thereof.

A pair of screw eyes l3 are secured in spaced relation into the lowersurface of the seat board and along the transverse median line thereof.The eye of each screw 13 is interlinked with one of the adjacent ends ofcoil springs 2|. The remote ends of these springs are each interlinkedwith the eye of a screw embedded into the bight portion of one of theU-members from the inner side thereof confronting the other U-member.Thesaddle section is completed by a pair of substantially verticalboards 22, 23 affixed preferably by screws to the upper surface of theseat board and adjacent the rear and front ends thereof, respectively.

. The rear section of the horse includes a pair of spaced boards Bfulcrumed upon a pivot bolt or rod Ha which is a counterpart of pin l9and its ends projecting beyond the rear section are each mounted in therear part of one of the saddle side boards I8.

In each board A are formed rearwardly inclined slots in each of which anoutwardly extending foot rest 24 is adjustably mounted.

The youthful rider presses his feet against the rests 24, and therebycauses the front U-member and the remaining parts of the front sectionto be swung counterclockwise (Figs. 1-2). The head of the horse thusmoves forwardly and downpivot [4a with the result that the lower end ofithe rear U-member lea rocks counterclockwise about pivot l9a. The rearboards B follow the motion of member Isa so that the rear section.swings upward.

This produces a floating forward motion during which the adjacent endsof lever I3, l'3w move apart stretching spring F15.

"When. this forward and. downward movement of the forward section hasgone as far as the. rider desires, he can. by releasing the foot: restsand by pulling on leather. rein 25 cause a reverse movement. The cycledescribed may be repeated. 7

.Since all spring tensions are practically zero when the horse is atrest, a small pressure: only is. requiredto start the motion of thehorse and keep it up. However, enough. tension develops owing. topressure on. the foot rests.- to enable the child to substantially varythe speed. The adjustability of. the. foot rests renders the, horsesuitable for riders of different age or size. Regardless of the pressureapplied to the foot reststhe horse will not tip.

It should be noticed. that during, the forward motion of the frontsection,.the head is more depressed than the rear section. is raised;and the" reverse is true during. the backward. motion of the frontsection whereby the actual galloping: of a horse is simulated. At thesame time: the: child; is stretched and then bunched as he would. if thehorse was jumping atfull speed, thuspro-- viding not only the pleasureof areal horseride,

but-also" excellent training inpose-,-since this toyhorse does notrequire a child to throw his weight forward and back-ward as in othersnow in use Theridersits upright-a1l: the time and follows the movementof the hors as he actuatesit. If? the child bounces on the seat, anup-an'd-dowm spring action is produced about axes I l, M. and Ha, [4awith both U-members l6, Ilia. moving down with axes I9, l liav at rest,thereby simulating the trotting action of a real horse.

Having thus described one. embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood, however; that such invention is-not-tobe limited tothe:particu lar details herein described or shown on the. drawing, but thatthe same comprehends other:

forms or devices adapted to-carry out theresults herein disclosedwithout departing from'thezspirit. of my invention and the scope of theappended claims;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sectional toy horse the combination comprising a support, a pairof levers fulcrumed about spaced axes on the support, spring meansconnected to both levers and urging them to positions approaching thehorizontal and substantially symmetrical with respect to the support, afirst horse section simulating the head, neck and forearms and pivotedto one of the levels, a second horse section simulating the ,loins, tailand. hind legs and pivoted to the other lever, a third sectionsimulating a saddle and pivoted to' the first and second sections, andsecond spring' means connected to the first, second and third sectionsat points opposite to the "lever pivots.

2. The combination according to claim 1 and wherein. the levers arefulcrumed intermediate their ends and tubular and have each an apertureadjacent oneend and the first sprin means ishooked into theapertures.

3. The combination according to claim 1 and:

wherein thefirst and second horse sections: each; includes a pair'ofvparallel boards and an inverted.

U-member spacin the boards and eachlever. is

' pivotedto and between the legs of a U-member.

4} The combination according to claim Band wherein the last-mentionedspring means is a pair of springs and the U-members of. the first twosections carry eye screwseach interlinked with one end" of one of thepair of springs and the saddle simulating section carries an eyescrewinterlinked with the other ends of the pair of springs;

5. The combination accordin to claim 1 and wherein thefirst and secondhorse sections include a pair of parallel boards held in spaced relationand each board has a slot and also comprising a pair of foot rests eachadjustablymounted in one of the slots.

LEO- L. MINOR, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordinthe file. of-.this patent:.

UNITED STATES PATENTS

